Railway Goods Shed project embarks on a new wave of public consultation .

The team behind the ambitious Llanelli Railway Goods Shed project has embarked on a new wave of public consultation events.

The programme kicked off with a meeting of community groups interested in using the building.

Over coming weeks, there will be leaflet drops for residents living close to the Marsh Street Goods Shed building, community surveys, a public display in Llanelli town centre and further group meetings for interested individuals, community organisations, social enterprises and businesses..

“The dialogue with the public is being cranked up to a whole new level,” said Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust project officer Robert Lloyd.

“We are slap bang in the middle of what we call our development phase, conducting the site surveys and other preparatory work needed before we can complete further applications for capital funding.

“The key message we want to get across is that this is a project designed to breathe new life into what is an historic building. Getting the support of the community and tapping into everyone’s ideas for the project is crucially important as the plans for the future use of the building take shape.”

The Goods Shed project aims to save and restore the derelict Grade II Listed building (built in the Brunel style in Marsh Street) and bring it back into life as a dynamic multi-purpose hub for the community.

The whole scheme is currently estimated to cost £1.7million. More than £100,000 of development funding has been secured from the Big Lottery Wales CAT2 (capital asset transfer) scheme and the Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales.

The Goods Shed plan is the biggest independently-organised project of its kind in West Wales.

On Friday, community groups came together to meet the Goods Shed Trust team and chairman Nia Griffith MP.

After the meeting, she said: “Sometimes, a meeting goes well and you get a real buzz: that’s how it was last Friday when representatives of local organisations came together to pool ideas on their vision of how the former Goods Shed could be transformed into a vibrant community hub, offering a whole range of activities and appealing to a wide cross section of the population.

“The shed is deceptively spacious, with an office block the size of a small community centre at one end, a vast cathedral-like main space, a full-height basement running the length of the building, and plenty of land outside to provide both off-street parking and activity areas.

“Currently, our plans include space for business start-ups, community café, heritage area with a real locomotive in situ, arts rehearsal and workshop space, video-making facilities, exhibition spaces, meeting rooms, training and work opportunities and community garden.”

If you would like to find out more, or have suggestions to make, please see the website http://www.llanellirailwaygoodsshedtrust.org.uk.